This morning we are packing up the family to head to Prague for Easter. Prague has an amazing Easter festival, so we decided we didn't want to miss it.
Things couldn't be much different for us on this trip compared to our last. Instead of trains, we're driving Big R's race car, and instead of 12 hours, it will only take us three to arrive in the beautiful city of Prague. We are also going with friends this time, so we'll have some friends to share our adventures with and we can't wait.
Rumors are that driving in Prague can be pretty exciting especially since all the signs are in Czech, which is a challenging language with a completely foreign alphabet. So, I'm sure there will be at least one exciting adventure story to share when we get back.
Big R and I have been to Prague before but we went on much different terms. We took a night train in a couchette (tad less comfortable than a sleeper car and barely a step up from sleeping in a seat), and made our reservations for our stay right as we were boarding the train in Munich because our decision to go to Prague was made on a whim (actually, not one of our arrangements were pre planned for that trip - fun, but something I decided I'm getting way too old to ever do again). This was five years ago just after we graduated from law school - we were a little younger and maybe a bit more spontaneous back then. We stayed in a hostel just outside the city center, and it had just what we needed but not a thing more.
This time around we made the decision to go months in advance with our friends, and I found a great little B&B in a perfect location for about a third of the cost as the average hotel. Can't beat that!!! We're hoping all goes as well as we expect and we're excited to share the experience with our close friends and their baby girl.
Stayed tuned for fun details about our trip. I'm going to sign off now and climb into the car for our next adventure :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, April 6, 2012
Give yourself a break
This week started out with so much potential. I was ready to take on the world. With only two weeks left of my fitness challenge, I wanted to go out with a bang to maximize my results. After staying at a plateau for weeks, my friend, K, finished Jamie Eason's LIVEFIT 12-week challenge with great results, and as hard as we have worked, I really want to see the same changes in myself. I also took on the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and I was ready to write and finally get my legal blog moving forward. Enter...the nastiest head cold EVER! You know the "dizzy head, have to sleep sitting straight up to hope to breathe, take as many over-the-counter remedies as you can muster" kind of cold. So frustrating...
Isn't that the worst, when your motivation is at its peak but your body is physically unable to keep up? My workouts were all completed this week, but not exactly with the gusto I had hoped to provide. Calorie counting was out, so the whole carb cycling deal was definitely not going to happen either. The last thing I needed was something else making me feel weak and unenergized.
Then there was the whole blogging thing. Nothing like a good cold to give you writer's block. By mid-week I could barely hold together a coherent thought. I was using most of the energy I did have to tame my wild monster and convince him to take naps.
Yet, despite all this, I can never seem to fight that feeling of guilt. Have you ever experienced this? I changed a few things in little r's schedule with a hunch it would ease the naptime struggle, and it turned out I was onto something because he napped well each day this week. That aside, I found myself doing the same each afternoon and feeling horribly guilty doing it.
I always feel like I should be doing something more productive with my time, as if sleep isn't overrated enough, right? I should be researching legal issues, writing my blog, emailing or networking, studying German, or reading up and discovering travel plans for future trips with the family - NOT napping. My evenings were alone most of this week as well because Big R had a trial that kept him from getting home until nearly midnight each night. Because he was working so hard, again, I felt guilty if the house was a mess, laundry not done, or I wasn't working myself on SOMETHING productive instead of watching TV.
Why do we stay-at-home moms do this to ourselves?
By midweek I was done. I seriously had nothing left in the tank, so I gave in and decided it was ok for me to take a break. The world won't end, Big R certainly wouldn't hate me, and the blogs will get written - hopefully all 30 of them - by the end of the month. Taking a much needed break would be ok.
So, I took a nap, and indulged in horrible girly TV by catching up on Gossip Girl (dont judge) for the night and took a break from feeling guilty. It was much needed and it's something I should let myself do more often when its necessary to rejuvenate my mind and let my body rest.
Turns out I felt much better today. The cold is still lingering, of course, but I didn't feel like my head was in a cloud, and my run was actually refreshing. The next time you feel run down, try to remove the guilt and give yourself a break - you won't regret it...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Isn't that the worst, when your motivation is at its peak but your body is physically unable to keep up? My workouts were all completed this week, but not exactly with the gusto I had hoped to provide. Calorie counting was out, so the whole carb cycling deal was definitely not going to happen either. The last thing I needed was something else making me feel weak and unenergized.
Then there was the whole blogging thing. Nothing like a good cold to give you writer's block. By mid-week I could barely hold together a coherent thought. I was using most of the energy I did have to tame my wild monster and convince him to take naps.
Yet, despite all this, I can never seem to fight that feeling of guilt. Have you ever experienced this? I changed a few things in little r's schedule with a hunch it would ease the naptime struggle, and it turned out I was onto something because he napped well each day this week. That aside, I found myself doing the same each afternoon and feeling horribly guilty doing it.
I always feel like I should be doing something more productive with my time, as if sleep isn't overrated enough, right? I should be researching legal issues, writing my blog, emailing or networking, studying German, or reading up and discovering travel plans for future trips with the family - NOT napping. My evenings were alone most of this week as well because Big R had a trial that kept him from getting home until nearly midnight each night. Because he was working so hard, again, I felt guilty if the house was a mess, laundry not done, or I wasn't working myself on SOMETHING productive instead of watching TV.
Why do we stay-at-home moms do this to ourselves?
By midweek I was done. I seriously had nothing left in the tank, so I gave in and decided it was ok for me to take a break. The world won't end, Big R certainly wouldn't hate me, and the blogs will get written - hopefully all 30 of them - by the end of the month. Taking a much needed break would be ok.
So, I took a nap, and indulged in horrible girly TV by catching up on Gossip Girl (dont judge) for the night and took a break from feeling guilty. It was much needed and it's something I should let myself do more often when its necessary to rejuvenate my mind and let my body rest.
Turns out I felt much better today. The cold is still lingering, of course, but I didn't feel like my head was in a cloud, and my run was actually refreshing. The next time you feel run down, try to remove the guilt and give yourself a break - you won't regret it...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Sunny morning run
Oh how I've missed my outdoor runs. Since I can remember, I've always had some aspect of running in my life. I've never been exceptionally fast or good at it, but I never let that stop me from enjoying a nice run. Sprinting was my thing until I decided to tackle marathons in my late 20's, and although I felt a huge sense of accomplishment after completing three marathons, it became pretty clear to me that my body was not built for long distance running. In fact, I have been having so many issues with my hips that I thought I might have to hang up my hat on running for good. I so much as road it off last summer before we moved here to Germany.
Then...we moved here. Not only are we in Germany, but we are in Bavaria, and it suits our lifestyle so well. Except for my time in Vermont, I have never lived somewhere so incredibly perfect for running. The environment here inspired me, and it only took a couple of runs to get me hooked again (despite the hip pain). I was excited that once little r started kindergarten, I would have some time on my own to start running these beautiful trails on a regular basis.
Somehow I decided to beat my booty into shape and take on a 12-week fitness challenge (Jamie Eason's LIVEFIT 12-week Trainer) that has had me locked in a gym six days a week for the past few months. The workouts have been long and sometimes arduous, but I know I'll be happy with the results when I've finished. These last two weeks of my challenge shift from HIIT training with active rests and sprints nearly every day, to lesser weight with more reps and lots of cardio. Getting my gym workout done in 30 minutes or less has freed me up to do more with my mornings again, including hit the trails for an energy boosting run.
I forgot how different it is to run outside than it is on a treadmill. Despite the constant cardio work I've been putting my body through at the gym, my run today was heavy and slow. I despise treadmills, I really do, and my run today reminded me why I prefer to run outside. After doing sprints for two weeks at the gym, I was ready to push myself - HA - that was not going to happen. Today was all about making it up the hills without giving myself a heart attack. I made it, and oddly it just renewed the excitement in me that doing this regularly is going to help me be in great shape!
And how awesome is it to run here? After struggling up my first large hill, I caught myself squinting my eyes because I thought I was seeing things and wanted to blame it on being out of breath. In front of me was a horse drawn carriage - YES, a horse drawn carriage - how cool is that?! I really thought I was hallucinating in some sort of 1800's dreamworld, but I was quickly drawn back by Lady Gaga wailing through my headphones. I love living here, and I can't wait to make these runs a regular part of my routine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Then...we moved here. Not only are we in Germany, but we are in Bavaria, and it suits our lifestyle so well. Except for my time in Vermont, I have never lived somewhere so incredibly perfect for running. The environment here inspired me, and it only took a couple of runs to get me hooked again (despite the hip pain). I was excited that once little r started kindergarten, I would have some time on my own to start running these beautiful trails on a regular basis.
Somehow I decided to beat my booty into shape and take on a 12-week fitness challenge (Jamie Eason's LIVEFIT 12-week Trainer) that has had me locked in a gym six days a week for the past few months. The workouts have been long and sometimes arduous, but I know I'll be happy with the results when I've finished. These last two weeks of my challenge shift from HIIT training with active rests and sprints nearly every day, to lesser weight with more reps and lots of cardio. Getting my gym workout done in 30 minutes or less has freed me up to do more with my mornings again, including hit the trails for an energy boosting run.
I forgot how different it is to run outside than it is on a treadmill. Despite the constant cardio work I've been putting my body through at the gym, my run today was heavy and slow. I despise treadmills, I really do, and my run today reminded me why I prefer to run outside. After doing sprints for two weeks at the gym, I was ready to push myself - HA - that was not going to happen. Today was all about making it up the hills without giving myself a heart attack. I made it, and oddly it just renewed the excitement in me that doing this regularly is going to help me be in great shape!
And how awesome is it to run here? After struggling up my first large hill, I caught myself squinting my eyes because I thought I was seeing things and wanted to blame it on being out of breath. In front of me was a horse drawn carriage - YES, a horse drawn carriage - how cool is that?! I really thought I was hallucinating in some sort of 1800's dreamworld, but I was quickly drawn back by Lady Gaga wailing through my headphones. I love living here, and I can't wait to make these runs a regular part of my routine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Ornery Monster
A little bug has crawled up inside my sweet little child and turned him into an ornery monster. No joke. If I have a button, little r is finding it and pushing it as many times as possible - all at once! With the good tends to come a wave of orneriness, that tests the core of my being as a mother. What is it that makes toddlers so unpredictable?
For a two-year old, I can't complain much. He really is a great kid. The past couple weeks he's been sleeping much better at night, and he seems to have figured out that waking up before the sun might not be all it's cracked up to be. I've even started getting up early on my own accord (yes, I'm that crazy, don't ask), just to get an hour or more of mommy-time before my house is awake for the day.
AND - big announcement - the kid finally took a bath all by himself last night. It has been a long time coming, and we are hoping it's not a fluke. Apparently the bugs were at bay, so he could enjoy the tub without fear. He was so excited to be in the bath with his toys again.
All that aside, my little man is also incredibly headstrong and he is determined lately to test every boundary. I remember going through this with him when he was around a year old, but somehow it seems much more evil this time. Apparently Mommy is funny when she's mad. Have you ever had someone laugh at you for your anger? Not a good thing. Let's just say I've had to do some deep breathing and counting backwards from 10 with my eyes closed.
Naptime is slowly becoming a thing of the past, and this is not going to work for little r or for me. Unfortunately, I think the problem is related to his after school adventures with his friend, Linus, getting him all riled up and off schedule. The difficult task will be trying to figure out how to fix it in a friendly way. Life is a bit too exciting for the little man these days, and I can hardly blame him. But alas, the boy needs sleep! I've read and gotten all sorts of advice on how to keep little r down for a nap - everything from locking the door or using a child gate, to less intense measures of silently putting him down again (no anger or soothing, zero emotion). I'm not sure if he's quite old enough to understand precise rules, but we are getting close. The last thing I want to do is enforce bad behavior, so I feel like I'm treading a fine line here.
Yesterday I flat out gave up and just let the kid stay awake. We took the puppy for a walk and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. Little r threw at least five tantrums before finally relaxing and having fun with the puppy. My approach is generally to stay calm and not let the crazy monster win. The advice I've been getting, though, is that I need to be a bit more confident in my authority. Something I'm working on.
Today is another day, and hopefully I'll hit the sack tonight with my sanity in check.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
For a two-year old, I can't complain much. He really is a great kid. The past couple weeks he's been sleeping much better at night, and he seems to have figured out that waking up before the sun might not be all it's cracked up to be. I've even started getting up early on my own accord (yes, I'm that crazy, don't ask), just to get an hour or more of mommy-time before my house is awake for the day.
AND - big announcement - the kid finally took a bath all by himself last night. It has been a long time coming, and we are hoping it's not a fluke. Apparently the bugs were at bay, so he could enjoy the tub without fear. He was so excited to be in the bath with his toys again.
All that aside, my little man is also incredibly headstrong and he is determined lately to test every boundary. I remember going through this with him when he was around a year old, but somehow it seems much more evil this time. Apparently Mommy is funny when she's mad. Have you ever had someone laugh at you for your anger? Not a good thing. Let's just say I've had to do some deep breathing and counting backwards from 10 with my eyes closed.
Naptime is slowly becoming a thing of the past, and this is not going to work for little r or for me. Unfortunately, I think the problem is related to his after school adventures with his friend, Linus, getting him all riled up and off schedule. The difficult task will be trying to figure out how to fix it in a friendly way. Life is a bit too exciting for the little man these days, and I can hardly blame him. But alas, the boy needs sleep! I've read and gotten all sorts of advice on how to keep little r down for a nap - everything from locking the door or using a child gate, to less intense measures of silently putting him down again (no anger or soothing, zero emotion). I'm not sure if he's quite old enough to understand precise rules, but we are getting close. The last thing I want to do is enforce bad behavior, so I feel like I'm treading a fine line here.
Yesterday I flat out gave up and just let the kid stay awake. We took the puppy for a walk and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. Little r threw at least five tantrums before finally relaxing and having fun with the puppy. My approach is generally to stay calm and not let the crazy monster win. The advice I've been getting, though, is that I need to be a bit more confident in my authority. Something I'm working on.
Today is another day, and hopefully I'll hit the sack tonight with my sanity in check.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, April 2, 2012
Challenging challenges
Somehow this is becoming the year of challenges for me. I suppose this is how we achieve personal growth, especially when we are gainfully unemployed for all the right reasons.
I have two more weeks left of my 12-week workout challenge. Only two weeks! Wow, that feels so good to say that. I am thrilled that I decided to do this plan, but I couldn't be more excited to complete it and start focusing on some other aspects of my life.
Enter challenge #2 for the year: 30-day blog challenge (www.ultimateblogchallenge.com)
My friend, K, got me into this one as well. The girl is really good at being convincing, that or she has a knack for finding ways to enrich her life and she likes to share it with others. I decided since I spent the last several months focusing on my body, it was time to start focusing on my mind.
The 30-day challenge is about creating accountability to give you a reason and motivation for helping your blog take off, and it felt like the perfect way for me to get content started for my new legal blog. I'll keep blogging here, too, no worries. My plan is to do 30 blog posts in the month of April between "River Runs Through It" and "Green Trees and Legalese." Hopefully this will be the extra push I need to get comfortable writing my legal blog. And maybe I'll get lucky and start increasing my readership a bit.
Thanks for supporting me in all my crazy endeavors.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have two more weeks left of my 12-week workout challenge. Only two weeks! Wow, that feels so good to say that. I am thrilled that I decided to do this plan, but I couldn't be more excited to complete it and start focusing on some other aspects of my life.
Enter challenge #2 for the year: 30-day blog challenge (www.ultimateblogchallenge.com)
My friend, K, got me into this one as well. The girl is really good at being convincing, that or she has a knack for finding ways to enrich her life and she likes to share it with others. I decided since I spent the last several months focusing on my body, it was time to start focusing on my mind.
The 30-day challenge is about creating accountability to give you a reason and motivation for helping your blog take off, and it felt like the perfect way for me to get content started for my new legal blog. I'll keep blogging here, too, no worries. My plan is to do 30 blog posts in the month of April between "River Runs Through It" and "Green Trees and Legalese." Hopefully this will be the extra push I need to get comfortable writing my legal blog. And maybe I'll get lucky and start increasing my readership a bit.
Thanks for supporting me in all my crazy endeavors.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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